Abstract
Flow is a highly motivated and affectively positive state in which a person is deeply engaged in an activity and feeling enjoyment from it. In collaborative activities, it would be optimal if all participants were in a state of flow. However, flow states fluctuate amongst individuals due to differences in the dynamics of motivation and cognition. To explore the possibility that inter-brain synchronization can provide a quantitative measure of the convergence and divergence of collective motivational dynamics, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the relationship between inter-brain synchronization and the interpersonal similarity of flow state dynamics during the collaborative learning process. In two English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes, students were divided into groups of three-four and seated at desks facing each other while conducting a 60-min group work. In both classes, two groups with four members were randomly selected, and their medial prefrontal neural activities were measured simultaneously using wireless functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) devices. Later the participants observed their own activities on recorded videos and retrospectively rated their subjective degree of flow state on a seven-point scale for each 2-min period. For the pairs of students whose neural activities were measured, the similarity of their flow experience dynamics was evaluated by the temporal correlation between their flow ratings. Prefrontal inter-brain synchronization of the same student pairs during group work was evaluated using wavelet transform coherence. Statistical analyses revealed that: (1) flow dynamics were significantly more similar for the student pairs within the same group compared to the pairs of students assigned across different groups; (2) prefrontal inter-brain synchronization in the relatively short time scale (9.3-13.9 s) was significantly higher for the within-group pairs than for the cross-group pairs; and (3) the prefrontal inter-brain synchronization at the same short time scale was significantly and positively correlated with the similarity of flow dynamics, even after controlling for the effects of within- vs. cross-group pair types from the two variables. These suggest that inter-brain synchronization can indeed provide a quantitative measure for converging and diverging collective motivational dynamics during collaborative learning, with higher inter-brain synchronization corresponding to a more convergent flow experience.
Highlights
In psychology, flow is a state of deeply and energetically engaging in and enjoying an activity at hand (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997)
The division into groups enabled us to compare within-group and cross-group learning pairs. This approach allowed us to test the following hypotheses: (1) flow dynamics are more convergent between members of the same group who work together than between learners belonging to different groups; (2) interbrain synchronization is higher between group members, who collaborate with each other, than between cross-group learners who share the same class but do not directly collaborate; and (3) the higher the inter-brain synchronization between a pair of learners, the more similar their dynamics of experienced flow would be; inter-brain synchronization would provide an objective indicator of shared flow dynamics
We analyzed the similarity or sharing of fluctuating flow experiences and prefrontal inter-brain synchronization among students in real collaborative learning activities held in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes in university education
Summary
Flow is a state of deeply and energetically engaging in and enjoying an activity at hand (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). Studies on real educational classroom settings using electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning have shown that interbrain synchronization is associated with higher engagement amongst students (Yamamoto et al, 2015; Dikker et al, 2017; Bevilacqua et al, 2018; Brockington et al, 2018). Based on these results, we hypothesized that the convergence and divergence of dynamically changing flow states between learners could be associated with inter-brain synchronization between learners, with those pairs who share flow dynamics showing higher interbrain synchronization. This approach allowed us to test the following hypotheses: (1) flow dynamics are more convergent (i.e., temporally more correlated) between members of the same group who work together than between learners belonging to different groups; (2) interbrain synchronization is higher between group members, who collaborate with each other, than between cross-group learners who share the same class but do not directly collaborate; and (3) the higher the inter-brain synchronization between a pair of learners, the more similar their dynamics of experienced flow would be; inter-brain synchronization would provide an objective indicator of shared flow dynamics
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
